1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of automated tool selection from a storage location and tool transport to a work station, for a selected one of a plurality of tools. The tools are used at the work station and returned to the storage location after use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In numerous manufacturing operations, it is necessary to use at any one time at a work station, one of a plurality of tools. Typically the tools are stored in a tool rest and then a tool is manually selected for use according to the particular operation being performed at the work station. The tool is then manually attached to a power driven work member to perform the work task. The tool selected for use is then returned to the tool rest and another tool is selected for use for the next work operation. The manual effort required is time consuming, tiring, and worker availability is required whenever a tool change is made, decreasing worker efficiency.
Efforts have been made to eliminate the need for manual tool selection, change, and return, and to automate as completely as possible tool handing operations. Generally, these efforts have included tool holders which are moved or indexed to a work station, as by a rotary turret or an endless tool conveyer chain, wherein the tools are removed from the holder for use and then returned to the holder after use. The holder is then moved so as to position a new tool at the work station. The complexity of tool retention and removal from the holder, tool indexing, and the limited storage capacity in a moving holder, have proven disadvantages of previous automated devices. The art is exemplified in United States patents having the following numbers: 3,431,635; 3,526,033; 3,684,101; 4,182,021; 3,074,147; 3,163,291; 3,176,847; and 3,052,999.